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IGRT offers improved treatment results for obese prostate cancer patients

Moderately to severely obese prostate cancer patients may have improved treatment outcomes when treated with image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) over traditional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) because IGRT corrects for prostate shifts, which, if not planned for, can lead to incorrect doses of radiation to the disease site, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

3 Sep 2009

More youngsters are using anti-obesity drugs

Thousands of children and adolescents are using anti-obesity drugs that in the UK are only licensed for use by adults. The number of young people receiving prescriptions for these drugs has increased 15-fold since 1999, but most stop using them before they could expect to see any benefit, according to a new study.

3 Sep 2009

Avastin increases survival rates in recurrent glioblastoma affected patients

The targeted therapy Avastin, alone and in combination with the chemotherapy drug CPT-11, significantly increased response rates, progression-free survival times and survival rates in patients with a deadly form of brain cancer that had recurred.

3 Sep 2009

New target for cancer cure identified

Researchers Dr. Marc Therrien at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Universit- de Montr-al, and Dr. Frank Sicheri, at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, have discovered a new target that may be instrumental in the development of new, more effective cancer therapies.

3 Sep 2009

New method for treating hand disorder discovered

Researchers in the Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center have developed an injectable form of the enzyme, collagenase, that significantly improves outcomes of Dupuytren's contracture (or disease), a debilitating disorder caused by progressive accumulation of collagen that deforms fingers and limits motion. Reported in September 3, 2009, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, the study involved treatment of 308 patients with Duputren's disease in 16 sites nationwide. The results indicate that the injections are safe and effective.

3 Sep 2009

Patients with advanced NSCLC predict their overall survival rates

Research published in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology has found that an individual's quality of life prior to treatment can help predict the overall survival of patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

3 Sep 2009

Scientists demonstrate the link between cancer and diesel fumes

Scientists here are the first to demonstrate that the link between diesel fume exposure and cancer lies in the ability of diesel exhaust to induce the growth of new blood vessels that serve as a food supply for solid tumors.

2 Sep 2009

New tool developed for dementia affected people

The elderly who suffer from dementia aren't able to say when something hurts or is sore. They may demonstrate their pain through behaviours like rocking or striking out, and we often dismiss these actions as symptoms of the dementia instead of pain, which is usually from a different problem. Arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, fractures, muscular contractures, bruises, abdominal pain and mouth ulcers are among the list of common ailments that go undetected.

2 Sep 2009

Kaiser Foundation invites nominations for 2010 National Awards for Excellence Program

The Kaiser Foundation is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the 2010 National Awards for Excellence Program in mental health and addictions initiatives.

2 Sep 2009

ICD implantation reduces mortality in heart attack patients

Findings from the latest PreSCD II analysis show that patients protected against sudden cardiac death by an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) one month or more after MI showed a non-significantRemarkably," says investigator Professor Heinz Völler from the Klinik am See in Ruedersdorf, Germany, "we observed in the data a survival benefit that increased with the time interval between MI and ICD implantation."

2 Sep 2009

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System deployed at the CHUM

In operation since recently at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), the CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System, is revolutionizing the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body. Used in radiation oncology, the CyberKnife System is the latest word in radiosurgery technology. Designed to destroy tumours using radiation beams, it is the first system of its kind to treat tumors non-invasively to be installed in Canada.

2 Sep 2009

Dr. Samadi of the Mount Sinai Medical Center stresses on prostate cancer awareness

September signifies the start of fall, back to school and back to homework. September is also National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The awareness month was proclaimed by President Bush in 2003, and bolstered later that year by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a prostate cancer survivor, who became the spokesman for the National Prostate Cancer Coalition.

2 Sep 2009

Wallet-sized cards offer athletes tips for detecting and monitoring concussions

In response to a rising number of concussions and recent research which shows young athletes with repeated brain injuries are at great risk for future neurological problems, the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) and the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) are offering a wallet-sized card with tips for detecting and monitoring concussions. The complimentary card is an educational tool for parents, coaches and others who work with young athletes to help them identify signs of a concussion.

2 Sep 2009

BRNI announces agreement to advance research on brain and neurological disorders

The Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) announced today an agreement with a group of neurological specialists (Brain Injury Group) to examine possible confluences of the Group's work with brain injuries, head trauma, and strokes and BRNI's research.

2 Sep 2009

Hope for limiting skin toxicity of cancer drug users

There may be a way around the harsh skin toxicity associated with a widely used cancer drug, according to a study published online this week in Cancer Biology and Therapy by researchers from City of Hope and the Kimmel Cancer at Jefferson.

2 Sep 2009

Irregular heartbeat is a common cause of stroke

Mellanie True Hills knows personally the toll that atrial fibrillation (afib) takes. Just two years ago, with a sense of urgency about afib that only a survivor can possess, she designated September as Atrial Fibrillation Month.

2 Sep 2009

Neuromuscular disorders common among Canadians

September is Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month. There are more than 100 neuromuscular disorders and it is estimated more than 50,000 Canadians are affected by one form or another. Each form is caused by an error in a specific gene related to muscle function.

2 Sep 2009

Survey on the current routine practice in CRT implantations in patients with heart failure

The European cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) Survey is a joint initiative taken by the Heart Failure Association (HFA) and European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the European Society of Cardiology. Its primary objective is to describe current European practice and routines associated with the implantation of a CRT device with or without an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) capability in patients with heart failure.

2 Sep 2009

Pre-hospitalization strategies will bring down mortality rate of patients with heart disorders

Mortality rate following a heart attack has fallen by more than 50% in Europe over the past 25 years. However, because only minor advances in the medical treatment of AMI are expected over the next decade, it is through organisational changes in the pre-hospital phase that mortality rate will continue this decline to below 5%.

2 Sep 2009

Future Alzheimer's treatments may be effective before the onset of symptoms

Memory lapses that occur with normal aging are a source of worry for many who fear Alzheimer's disease. Now a new Mayo Clinic-led study published in the July 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the carriers of a common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease begin to have memory declines in their mid-50s, far earlier than previously thought.

2 Sep 2009